A good week for Cancer Research

[Cleoriff]

This week we have seen some excellent news about cancer research in the UK

Six days ago the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer research (ICR) announced exciting developments. Nine out of ten men with advanced prostate cancer – an incurable and fatal disease – could soon be treated with new or existing drugs following a pioneering study that scientists have called the “Rosetta Stone” of prostate research. It has been classed as a game changer as the treatment could potentially be used on other cancers.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/nine-out-of-ten-male-prostat...

As if that wasn't enough, yesterday, the same institute announced a world first in the treatment of melanoma (skin cancer) This has been achieved by using a genetically modified cold sore virus which attacks cancer cells.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/world-first-as-scientists-pr...

As someone who has lost friends and family to prostate and skin cancer, this news is absolutely mind blowing.

[Anonymous]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

And yes...according to both research programmes there appears every chance the treatments can be used to fight other cancers

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what wonderful news Cleoriff ..... as I understand, the stats are 1 in 3 of us at sometime in our life will suffer this dratted disease ..... so ..... what you have posted here is a great encouragement to us all who either have the great misfortune to have / had the disease or have someone close to them who has / had it ..... positivity then 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

what wonderful news Cleoriff ..... as I understand, the stats are 1 in 3 of us at sometime in our life will suffer this dratted disease ..... so ..... what you have posted here is a great encouragement to us all who either have the great misfortune to have / had the disease or have someone close to them who has / had it ..... positivity then 

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Sadly those stats have changed recently, as this extract from Cancer Research's own website explains:

"In the UK, more than 1 in 2 people will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Every year, more than 331,000 people are diagnosed with the disease. But experts estimate that more than 4 in 10 cancer cases could be prevented by lifestyle changes"

[Cleoriff]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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Sadly those stats have changed recently, as this extract from Cancer Research's own website explains:

"In the UK, more than 1 in 2 people will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Every year, more than 331,000 people are diagnosed with the disease. But experts estimate that more than 4 in 10 cancer cases could be prevented by lifestyle changes"

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Whilst not disagreeing with those stats, it is an estimation by experts. So it has to be remembered that it also means that 6 out of 10 people wont be affected by lifestyle changes.

We probably all know of someone who has had cancer. My sister was one such person. She had the healthiest lifestyle of anyone I know. She didn't drink or smoke. She exercised and followed a good diet. She developed cancer of the pancreas and died six months after diagnosis. Lifestyle counted for nothing in her case. I always supported a healthy lifestyle for those who want to pursue it ...but for a while my belief took a a bit of a hammering.....

[Anonymous]

Yes, you're right of course. Just to be clear though, I didn't seek to highlight the section in bold text, I just copied and pasted it, as it was in the original article.

I was actually focussing on the more depressing statistic, that more than half of us will develop cancer at some point in our lives.

[Cleoriff]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Yes, you're right of course. Just to be clear though, I didn't seek to highlight the section in bold text, I just copied and pasted it, as it was in the original article.

I was actually focussing on the more depressing statistic, that more than half of us will develop cancer at some point in our lives.

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I know you didn't highlight it @Anonymous I took the time to read it. Yes the stats are depressing..One of the reasons I thought my opening post news was quite uplifting. As for developing cancer...been there... done that and came out the other side jumping for joy and kicking ass .....so there are some lucky ones about....

[Anonymous]

Yes, I suppose you have to look at it in the context that we're living longer these days, and that cancer treatments have come a long way in a recent years.

So yes it is an exciting development, and another reason to be optimistic that they're getting closer to finding that elusive cure.

Thank you for posting that news.

[Anonymous]

It really has been a good week, with this latest development for the treatment of lung cancer hailed as a "milestone".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32936877

[Cleoriff]

This is brilliant news @Anonymous It seems the drugs they are trialling stop cancers turning off the bodies immune system. Medical research results are the ones I truly believe in. They can't be published as fact until they have undergone further trials ....by at least two other totally independent teams of scientists.  Yes...it's good news week...

[jonsie]

Great song,  unfortunately written by the infamous Jonathan King. ...

[perksie]

Blast from the past @jonsie shame about JK.